


Until the End

by BlueFeather30



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Everyone Is Gay, Get ready for the feels, M/M, Romance, Running Away, my friend cried
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:06:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24703513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueFeather30/pseuds/BlueFeather30
Summary: A little drabble featuring some original characters!
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character





	Until the End

**Author's Note:**

> So this is just something I wrote because inspiration struck, and I just went with it. It turned out longer than I originally thought, but I'm very proud of it. I hope you enjoy!

"Charlie!" I hissed, shaking him gently. He opened his eyes, stretching and sitting up. He always looked so adorable when he woke up, hair going every which way and a sleepy smile on his face no matter what was happening. 

"'s going on?" he mumbled, glancing around at the others. Everyone was sound asleep, guards sitting tiredly against every wall. Ever since the last time, they've upped the security so no one escapes. After all, how is Sumont supposed to run a multi-billion dollar company if he doesn't have anyone to sell?

"Do you remember what I told you about yesterday?" I asked, gently turning his face towards mine. He stiffened and nodded, locking his eyes with mine. "there's been a change. We have to go _now_ , or we won't be able to make it off the property before we're caught."

" _Now_?" he said, side-eyeing the guards. I nodded. He took a deep breath and started gathering up the supplies, rolling up our blankets and stuffing them into a small pack. We didn't have much, but luckily Sumont is one of the nicer owners. I've known people who don't even allow their "products" clothes. A loud thump drew my attention away from Charlie and I turned towards the noise. A large guard opened the door to the holding cell, the trapdoor to the main house falling shut behind him. Everyone sat up, looking fearfully at the huge man. 

"44, come here!" he bellowed, beckoning at a beautiful young woman with sleek black hair and a kind face. She faced him bravely, squaring her shoulders, and shrugging off the desperate hands of the other slaves trying to hold her back. I think her name is Regina, but the guard only cared about the serial number burned onto her wrist. As awful as it was, I'm glad it was her, rather than Charlie. Soft sobs came from a huddle of people, their eyes glassy as they mourned for a friend who was being taken to a fate some said was worse than death. The guard attached a pair of cuffs to her and brought her through the trapdoor to the main house. The entire room was silent, as it always was when someone was taken. 

"Here's our chance," I whispered. Charlie shot his head around, eyes full with barely suppressed tears. 

"What do you mean?" he said shakily, "Regina is about to be sold, or worse" I grimaced, recognizing the conflict of the moment.

"I was talking with her earlier. She knows the rotation that they choose people on, so she knew that she was going to get picked, and apparently you're next. She agreed to put up a fight, distract as many guards as possible so we can get out." Charlie gasped. I pulled him into a hug, stroking his back as he silently sobbed into my shirt. He was always so compassionate, making friends even here, where everyone was going to be gone one way or another. 

"She would sacrifice herself for us?" he sniffed, wiping his face. _Technically she'll have to go anyway_ , I said inwardly, _but this way it will mean something_. Just then, alarms started blaring as Regina burst into the holding cell, eyes wild and wrists bloody. The guards shot to their feet and started shouting, fumbling with their stun guns and clubs. The room was thrown into chaos as people dashed towards the cell, trying to unlock the door before the guards reached them. Charlie barely had time to sling our pack onto his shoulder before I grabbed his hand and ran towards the bathroom, shooing him in before closing and locking the door behind us. 

"Holy shit, holy shit-" Charlie mumbled, raking his hands through his brown hair, his mind reeling. I turned around and grabbing him by the shoulders.

"Hey, hey," I said firmly, "look at me." He looked up at me, barely suppressed tears threatening to spill over onto his pale cheeks. "We're gonna be ok. I swear to you, we're gonna get out of this."

"Well, isn't that sweet," a low voice drawled. We whipped around, Charlie's hand finding mine. Slowly, someone was lowered through the vent above us. First a pair of old boots, then some well-worn pants, and finally a weary, weathered face appeared. 

"Martin," I said, letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding, "Took you long enough." Our rescuer dropped down to the ground, giving a tug on the rope. 

"Yeah, yeah," the man grumbled, tossing some supplies onto the floor for us to pick up, "we got held up." As we grabbed the stuff, he sighed and held out his hand. 

"Well, lovebirds, time's a-wastin,'" he said. Charlie hesitated, glancing at me. 

"You go first," Charlie said, clearly wary of this newcomer. I shook my head and laughed dryly.

"Do you really think I'd leave you behind?" I asked. Charlie turned on his puppy-dog eyes, knowing I could never resist them. 

"Please?" he whispered, hugging me tightly and burying his face in my chest. I sighed.

"Fine." I gently pulled him away from me and walked towards the rope, slipping my foot inside the loop. I don't trust these guys to not attack us once we get to the top anyway, and better me in danger than Charlie. Another tug on the rope and it started moving, unseen hands hastily jerking me upwards towards the open vent. 

Suddenly, the door shuddered from the force of fists, banging so hard dust began raining down around Charlie. "Open up!" the guards shouted. He shrank back into the corner and Martin stepped in front of him, gun pointed at the door with steady hands. My heart stopped. 

"Ch-" the door burst open and guards flooded in, shouting and waving around crude batons. Martin couldn't even get a shot off before blows started pummeled the two men, while I watched from above, powerless as they screamed for mercy. I watched as his skin broke, blood running down his face and pooling on the floor. I watched as he got down onto his knees, offering no resistance as they battered him into the ground and knelt on his back to secure cuffs around his wrist. I watched as they disappeared from view, and I was left staring through the metal vent lining. I can't breathe. I can't breathe. 

_Charlie_

I failed.

\---

_"And what's a big tough guy like you doing here?" a voice playfully asked. I looked up sharply, keeping my face carefully neutral. A pair of brown eyes looked back at me, kindness radiating from them. I stiffened. Kindness in these times was never genuine._

_"What do you want?" I asked gruffly. He plopped down onto the corner of my blanket, holding out his hand for me to shake._

_"I'm Charlie," he said, grinning. His hair was shorn down to the roots, and he looked strangely small._

_"Well, Charlie," I said, reaching for my backpack, "this has been fun and all, but would you kindly leave me alone? I'd prefer solitude to pity." He withdrew his hand, looking hurt. He was so young. Too young, too weak. He would die soon._

_"I don't pity you! Maybe I just want to get to know you. Maybe I just want a friend." I scoffed at that._

_"Friends aren't really my style. "_

_\---_

_Charlie Charlie Charlie_

His name beat in rhythm with my feet pounding on the dirt path. My chest burned and heaved, but I kept going. I had to. 

_Charlie Charlie Charlie_

I never should have dragged him into this. This was _my_ problem, not his. He doesn't deserve to die for what I did. I messed with the wrong people and that _idiot!_ He _insisted_ on caring and wanting to help and just generally being a good person. And I made the mistake of caring right back, not giving a thought as to how it hurt him and everyone around me. Now, look where he is: trapped in the basement of some billionaire, waiting to die. All because of me. 

I stopped and leaned against a tree, legs screaming. I didn't have anything besides what my rescuers gave me, which wasn't any more than the bare necessities. In short, no phone, no weapons other than a flimsy knife, and most importantly, no way of saving Charlie. It had taken me months to plan our rescue, and I had weeks, probably less, to save the only thing that kept me going. I should have learned, I should have known better than to let myself care for another person like this. I should have-

"Hey there, lover boy." I froze as a menacing voice cut through my thoughts like a knife. Slowly, I straightened up and turned to face it.

"Jack." Just saying his name made my whole body tense up. He grinned, sauntering up to me.

"Well," he said, a small smile stealing across his face. He looked the same as he had 3 years ago, with his rugged black hair and icy blue eyes. He had the same cocky grin, the one that would make all the girls swoon and fall at his feet. "This is certainly a change of pace from when I last saw you. I heard you settled down with that kid, what was-" The breath slammed out of his body as I whipped him around and pinned him against the tree.

"Don't you _dare_ speak his name," I hissed. His eyebrow quirked up.

"Someone got attached!" he exclaimed sarcastically. "honestly, 'Drew, I never thought you were the romantic type" I drew the knife out of my pack and held it to his throat.

"You were supposed to help us escape," I said, slowly twisting the point towards his jugular, "and you failed." 

"Actually," he said, grinning easily, "I succeeded. _You_ escaped, didn't you?" My vision turned red with rage as I pulled back and punched him square in the nose. His head hit the tree and he cried out, slumping down. I hoisted him back up and slammed my arm over his neck, cutting off his already limited air supply

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right now," I growled, using the knife to trace his cheekbones, "and while you're at it, tell me how you're gonna help me rescue Charlie." His fingers clawed desperately at my arm and I eased up on the pressure. 

"Come now, is that how you greet an old friend?" he coughed, voice hoarse and raspy. I let him drop roughly to the floor, stepping back and keeping the knife held tightly in my hand.

"What do you want?" I said sharply. "I know you didn't come alone. You're not _that_ stupid."

"You're right, I'm not." Jack snapped his fingers. Two people emerged from the trees, both freakishly large and muscular. They stood behind their much smaller employer with their arms folded menacingly, glaring daggers at anything that moved. 

"You still haven't answered my question," I said, trying not to appear nervous as I looked discreetly around for an escape route. I was outmatched, and we both knew it. 

"I want something of value," he said simply. I didn't resist as his thugs grabbed my arms, shoving me onto my knees.

"I don't care what happens to me," I pleaded, looking up at my captor, "just please, don't hurt Charlie. He's innocent, it's my fault he's even in this mess." Jack crossed his arms and tapped his foot, looking thoughtful.

"And what will I get in return?" he asked. My breath sped up. I had nothing other than the meager supplies in my pack, and I lost all of my connections when Charlie and I got taken. He needed something more valuable.

"Take me," I said suddenly. "I'm strong, I can fight, and you know how well I work. I'll pay for myself ten times over." Jack considered it for another few seconds.

"No." My heart stopped and I gaped at him, limp in his lackeys' arms. Then fear took over and I started struggling, yelling obscenities towards the raven-haired boy. He just laughed and started slowly advancing closer to me.

"Say hi to Charlie for me," he whispered in my ear before rearing back and smashing me over the head with something heavy. I crumpled to the ground and my vision hazed.

_Charlie._

Everything faded to black. 

\---

** Charlie **

\---

_"You have to get out of here," he hissed, grabbing my shoulders.  
_

_"No! Not without you!" I yelled, jerking out of his grip. He looked at me with huge, soft eyes, a rare sight for someone as strong and as hard as him._

_"Please, Charlie," he whispered. "I couldn't bear to lose you."_

_"And you think I could lose you?" I said incredulously, pulling back to study him. His face was dirt-crusted and frantic, messy brown hair falling into his eyes. I brushed it back and cupped his face._

_"I'm not leaving you," I said firmly._

_"No matter what."_

_\---_

_Andrew Andrew Andrew_

His name beat in rhythm with the pounding of my skull. I'm still here, but he's out and safe. I know he can take care of himself. He has before.

_Andrew Andrew Andrew_

But what if he tries to come back? The last thing I want is for him to do something stupid to try and get me back. He's free, and he must know that's all I needed. For him to be okay, and most importantly, away from here.

"Charlie?" a tentative voice asked. I turned slowly, wincing as my entire body protested. Those guards really didn't hold back. 

"What's up, Ben?" I said easily, smiling at the boy standing above me. He was nineteen, only three years younger than me, and yet he seemed far too young to be here. 

"I wanted to make sure you were ok," he said, sitting down next to me. I leaned my head back against the wall and let out a breath.

"Oh, you know," I joked, "aches and pains. Part of getting old." His face turned serious and he reached out a hand, hesitating slightly before laying it gently on my shoulder.

"No, really," he said quietly, "are you ok? I know Andrew made it out, and I know he meant a lot to you-"

"What are you saying?" I snapped, brushing his hand away. "Andrew's gonna be fine. He can take care of himself. If anything, it's _he_ who should be worried about _me_ , seeing as I'm the one who's going to be killed. The only thing I'm anxious about is him doing something stupid like trying to rescue me." 

"He has a right to be worried," Ben said gently, settling against the wall with me. "He cares for you a lot too, you know." I buried my face in my hands.

"I know," I whispered, voice muffled. "And if he didn't, we would never be in this mess in the first place." 

"You shouldn't blame him-"

"I'm not _blaming_ him," I cut him off, glaring at nothing in particular. "I'm just saying if we had never-"

"33!" My head whipped around and I stood up quickly, bracing myself against the wall as the room moved in circles. A pair of guards slowly merged into one, scowling menacingly. "You're coming with me." I sighed and looked down at my feet, offering my wrists without objection. He grabbed me roughly and cuffed me, leading me first to the holding cell, then through to the main house. Truthfully, it looked the same as the basement, with gray concrete walls and no light save for some low-wattage strips on the ceiling. The only difference was the large chair in the middle of the room and a heavily-fortified steel door. The guard shoved me into the chair and locked in my cuffs. 

"Well," a voice purred. The sound echoed through the room, and I couldn't tell who or where the speaker was. "so this is our little escapist. What a shame. You would have been worth so much."

"You're sick," I spat. "Taking people from their homes, selling them like _things_ for your profit. We aren't souvenirs to be bought." A low chuckle escaped from the speaker.

"I'm just so disappointed we couldn't get your boyfriend too. He looked strong, would've been a good worker." I struggled against my cuffs, wincing as the metal chafed my already injured wrists.

"You _bastard_ ," I growled, scowling at nothing. "Do whatever you want to me, but just leave him alone. The only thing that matters to me is his safety." 

"Is that so?" I could just _hear_ the smirk in those words. "Too bad your little escape attempt failed." I blinked in confusion. It didn't fail, he got out. Was Andrew dead? Or-

"No..." I said, realization dawning, "No no no-" A loud _thump_ cut me off, and an unmoving body was thrown on the ground. I hadn't even noticed the door opening, but the sight that lay before me was captured all my attention. A man dressed in nothing but a pair of boxers lay limply on the floor, his body littered with bruises and scrapes. He was hunched over in a fetal position, blood crusting over an open wound on his head. His eyes were swollen shut, and blood was running out of both his nostrils. A bone jutted out of his arm, almost penetrating the skin from the inside. But the worst part of all was the small mark on his hip, just above his boxers. The letters _C.R._ in a practical, tiny script and black ink. 

"ANDREW!" I shrieked, voice cracking. I resumed my fight with the chair, straining my entire body towards the man who lay right in front of me. Unexpectedly, the cuffs unlocked and I fell forward, scrambling on my hands and knees towards him. I grabbed his chest and scooted over to a wall, pulling him up so I was cradling the strongest person I've ever known. Someone who never asked for help, never complained, was sitting broken in my arms. 

"No please, _please_ ," I sobbed, brushing his hair gently out of his face. I pressed my fingers lightly against his neck and sighed in relief when I felt his pulse fluttering under my fingertips. How could he be _here_? He got out, he was safe-

"What did you do to him?!" I screamed, my whole body trembling with worry and anger.

"Well I needed _some_ way to break you," the voice said nonchalantly. "Can't have you trying to escape again." I shifted myself so Andrew's head was in my lap, his breathing labored. It was growing fainter and fainter, and I was helpless.

"Please," I begged, fresh tears tracking down my cheeks, "please, I don't care what happens to me, just save him. I'll do whatever you want, just keep him safe." I felt his neck again, expecting to feel a weak heartbeat. Instead, silence met me. 

"No," I whispered. I put my trembling hand over his mouth, waiting for a breath, an intake of air, _something_ , however slight. There was nothing. "No no no no," I panicked, checking him for any possible sign of life. Nothing. My vision blurred, my breath came in short gasps. He can't be gone. He _can't_ be. The guard, who was standing silently near the door to the holding cell, walked over and grabbed him roughly by the collar. 

"No, PLEASE!" I screamed, panic filling my chest. I stood up and lunged at him, clawing desperately in an attempt to stop him from leaving. "STOP! I WON'T LET YOU TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME!!" The guard just pushed me off with ease, sending me sprawling back into the wall. The air left my lungs with a _huff_ , and I slid down to the floor and lay there, stunned. When I looked back up, he was gone. The only sign he ever existed was the faint blood smears on the floor and the empty, gaping hole in my chest. 

_Andrew._

"Now, are you ready to go?" The voice asked as if my entire world had not just been torn from my arms. I just stared at the bloodstains, numb. My eyes were glassy as the guard hoisted me up and shoved me towards the door, stumbling over my own feet. This has to be some dream, some terrible nightmare, he can't be dead, he _can't_ be, he got out, he's safe-

"Now stop that useless morning," the voice chided. "My buyer expects a healthy, happy worker, none of this blubbering." My feet moved robotically through the door. Some words were exchanged with another person, cuffs were placed on my wrists, and it was done. My new owner led me away, as if everything was fine, as if my world had not just gotten turned upside-down in a few moments. 

_Andrew._

I failed.

\---

_I hugged him tightly, looking up into his eyes._

_"You'll never leave me, right?" I asked. His eyebrow lifted and he gave a dry laugh._

_"Charlie, you know I wouldn't," he assured me. "We'll be together until the end."_

_"I promise."_

_**~Fin~** _

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos or a kind comment are much appreciated. Until next time ❤️


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